DEPUTY MINISTER SAYS ONE THIRD OF ARMENIAN POPULATION POOR
Panorama.am
14:01 25/07/06
A three-day seminar on monitoring and evaluation of income generation
and employment programs in Armenia launched in Yerevan today. The event
was organized by the ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of social
security and UN economic and social commission in Asian-Pacific region.
Artsvik Minasyan, deputy minister of employment and social affairs,
informed the present that a national report is developed by a group
of experts aimed to outline the development trends of Armenia within
the context of poverty alleviation as well as programs on employment.
The report says incomes are not evenly distributed in the country. The
needy sector of the population has very limited opportunities. "Poverty
is still a major problem for Armenia with 34% of population being
poor," deputy minister said. In other words, 1 mln people are poor
and 200 000 of them live in dire needy conditions. The experts of the
report recommend creating well-paid jobs. The report also suggests
reconsidering the program on poverty alleviation which the government
approved in 2003. In A. Minasyan’s words, social security system also
needs improvements. /Panorama.am/